Control device for automatic textile winding frames



May 25, 1954 s. FURsT 2,679,361

CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TEXTILE WINDING FRAMES Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .lm entan' S. FURST May 25, 1954 CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TEXTILE WINDING FRAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1952 Patented May 25, 1954 CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC TEXTILE WINDING FRAMES Stefan Fiirst, Gladbach, Germany, assignor to Walter Reiners, Waldniel (Niederrheim), Germany Application June 28, 1952, Serial No. 296,135 Claims priority, application Germany July 3, 1951 6 Claims.

This invention relates to textile winding frames and more particularly to a control device for multiple-spindle winding frames with independently operating shifting means at several winding stations.

In automatic winding frames having independently operating changing and shifting devices at several winding stations and in which suction or compressed air is used for actuating some of the operating steps at the several stations, the amount of air or suction required depends on the number of simultaneously occurring automatic functions. Because it is impossible to determine in advance how many changing and shifting functions will occur simultaneously during actual operation of the machine and because it may even happen that all devices operate at the same instant, it is necessary to provide for sufficient capacity of the suction or compressed air sources so that they will be able to supply the demand at such exceptional instants. In other words, the generators of suction or compressed air for such machines must be of relatively large size. If the supply of such operating media is insufilcient, it may happen that at the moment of simultaneous occurrence of a maximum of operating steps at all stations combined, the suction or pressure may momentarily diminish so much that, for instance, a broken thread is not sucked up for knotting and a fault will be the consequence. Since in a fullautomatic machine a single shifting failure will result in a repetition of all automatic actions. the number of simultaneously actuated winding stations will continually increase and outage of all Winding stations will finally result. Somewhat similar conditions are encountered when mechan ical, hydraulic-a1 or electrical energy is employed at the winding stations for such purposes as catching of thread ends or the like. All such energy sources must be selected large enough so that in case of a maximum of accidentally simultaneously occurring shifting actions at the winding stations sufiicient energy is supplied to all of them. v

The present invention provides means by which the disadvantage of exceptionally large power demand for functions as above described is obviated in such winding frames. This is achieved by suitable control devices which permit that only a. certain predetermined number of shifting devices at some of the winding stations can operate simultaneously, while the shifting members at the other winding stations are blocked mechanically, electrically, pneumatically, or otherwise, until operation at the instantly unblocked stations is partly or completely finished.

According to this invention, the positions of the machine elements actuating the shifting operations at the several winding stations are successively controlled at short intervals by feeling members and themachine element, first actuating a shifting device, initiates operationof the shifting devices of its Winding station and simultaneously stops the feeling control action at all other winding stations temporarily until the operating shifting device has partly or completely finished its movement.

According to this invention it has been found advisable to control the positions of the brokenthread feelers at the several winding stations successively at short intervals by feeler devices, whereby the first broken-thread feeler found swung outwardly Will hamper the movement of the feeler device at that station and initiate action of the shifting device pertaining to that winding station and will simultaneously interrupt the feeling control action at all other winding stations temporarily until the operating shifting device has partly or completely finished its movement. For effecting the feeling control, this invention provides a feeler shaft passing adjacent to all winding stations and carrying a feeler disk at each one of said stations. Each feeler disk is provided with a feeler lug and the lugs of all disks are arranged in staggered relation around the feeler shaft. Thus, during rotation of the feeler shaft, the lugs touch successively at short intervals the machine elements actuating the shifting devices of the several winding stations, whereby after actuation of one shifting device the rotation of the feeler shaft with all disks is temporarily interrupted until the operating shifting device has partly or completely finished its movement.

This invention is especially suitable for multiple-spindle winding frames provided with suction devices for the purpose of catching thread ends. It is advisable that in such machines the actuation of the shifting devices is controlled by the vacuum instantly prevailing in the suction line shortly before the shifting moment. In such an arrangement the suction line is preferably brought in communication with a vacuum measuring device whose measuring result is induced to afiect one of the broken-thread feelers in such a way that said feeler is released only when the desired vacuum prevails.

Other novel features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of two preferred embodiments shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a winding control device illustrating operating steps for change of spools; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a device with suction means for catching thread ends.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, there is indicated a thread F detained between broken-thread feeler l and rests 2 and 3. The broken-thread feeler I is pivoted at point 4 for swinging movement in unison with lever 5 which carries at its lower extremity a stop 6 for a lever I. Lever 'I is pivoted on a pin 8, which, extending toward the same side as lever I, carries a second lever 9 and, extending toward the opposite side, a stop I and a lever arm II. Stop I0 rests against a double lever I2, I3 which is pivoted on a pin I4. Pin I4 is secured in control disks I5, I55. A shifting disk I! is mounted on a shaft I8. Linked to lever arm II is a shifting rod I9 which at its lower end is connected to a control lever 20 which is pivoted on a rod 2|. The same rod 2I carries a double lever 22, 23. Lever end 22 engages two adjustable collars 24, 25 mounted on shifting rod I9. The shifting rod I9 is slidably mounted in a joining member 26. Lever 20 is urged against a feeler lug 28 of a feeler disk 29 by a spring 21 resting against collar 25 and joining member 26. Feeler disk 29 is rigidly mounted on shaft 35 and provided with a notch 3|. The shaft 30 carries several feeler disks 29', 29" whos feeler lugs 28', 28 are arranged in staggered relation around said shaft. Shaft 30 is driven by a gear 32 which transmits the power resiliently by way of gear 33 and a slip coupling 34.

If thread F breaks, broken-thread feeler I swings outward in counter-clockwise direction and lever I looses its support on stop 6 of lever joined with broken-thread feeler I. Rotation of shaft 30 with its feeler disks 29, 29, 29" and feeler lugs 28, 23, 28" swings lever by action of lug 28 in counter-clockwise direction and urges thereby shifting rod I9 upward. If, contrary to the relative position of the several parts as shown in the drawing, lever 20 is able to move shifting rod I9 upward and thereby turns lever 1, 9, II in clockwise direction, the stop I0 releases lever I2, which turns in counterclockwise direction so that its end I3 engages the continuously rotating shifting disk I'I, causing thereby rotation of the control disks I5, I6. Upward movement of shifting rod I9 and clockwise swinging movement of levers I, 9, I I is possible whenever broken-thread feeler I swings outward. Such upward movement of shifting rod I9 causes simultaneously a counter-clockwise movement of lever arm 22 engaged between collars 2d, so that lever arm 23 engages the notch 3| of feeler disk 29 and thereby blocks this disk and all other feeler disks mounted on shaft 36. Such blocking is possible because the power transmission by way of the members 32, 33, 34 is flexible on account of the slip coupling.

During rotation of the control disk I6 in counter-clockwise direction as just described, the

lever 9, at a certain instant, comes in contact with control disk I6 and is thereby forced to swing with its lever ends I and IE on its pivot pin 8 in counter-clockwise direction, which action urges shifting rod I9 downward and effects in turn a clockwise movement of lever 22, 23. Such movement disengageg lever 23 from notch SI in feeler disk 29 and frees feeler shaft with feeler disks 29, 29 which now can continue its rotation until at any of the other winding stations the same mechanical actions as just described repeat themselves. The control disks IS, IS of the shifting device continue their rotation in counter-clockwise direction until the double lever I2,

I3 hits stop It with its arm I2. This action disengages lever arm I3 from shifting disk II. The

control disks I5, IG, when reaching this end position, have made a revolution of 360 degrees and therewithcompleted their shift-actuating. movement.

The amount of staggering, of the feeler lugs 28 depends on the number of winding stations to be freed simultaneously. If it is desired that at one instant, only at one winding station actuation of the shifting movement shall occur, angular spacing will be qual to circumference divided by the number of winding stations. If it is permissible that at a group of two or more winding stations can be shifted simultaneously, the angular spacing can be correspondingly increased.

A modified embodiment of this invention is shown in Fig. 2. This is a simplified construction of the present control device suitable especially for machines equipped with suction means for the purpose of catching the thread ends, in which actuation of the shifting means is made to depend on magnitude of the vacuum within the suction line shortly before the shifting instant. In this case, the suction line is preferably brought in communication with a vacuum measuring device whose measuring results are mad to affect a broken-thread feeler, and releases this only when the desired vacuum is reached. The thread F (Fig. 2) lies against a thread feeler 4| which is pivoted at 42 and carries a lever 43 provided with a stop 44. The end of lever 43 engages a lever 45 with a stop 46. Lever 45 is pivoted at a rigid point 41 and is connected at a point 48 by a link 49 with a diaphragm 50 of a vacuum measuring device 5I which is in communication with a vacuum chamber 53 through a pipe line 52. An eccentric disk 54 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 55. A bell-crank lever 55, pivoted at 51, is urged by a spring 58 against eccentric disk 54 and rests with a lug 59 on its other arm against a lever 66 also pivoted at point 51. Lever 85 extends past its pivot point with an arm 6i to which an actuating member 52 is attached. The pivots 42, 41, 55, 51 are fixed points and secured on the machine frame 63.

As long as sumcient vacuum exists in vacuum chamber 53, the diaphragm 50 of the vacuum measuring device 5|, being in communication with vacuum chamber 53 by way of pipe 52', is pulled downward so much that lever 46, connected with the diaphragm 50 by link 49, reaches the position shown in the figure. If thread F breaks, the thread feeler 4| then can swing outward in counter-clockwise direction. The spring 58 tries to swing lever 60, 5| in clockwise direction whenever lever 56 is swung clockwise by the rotating eccentric disk 54. This motion can be effected when thread feeler 4| is swung outwardly because stop 44 for lever 60 does then not interfere with such movement. In this manner the actuating member 62 is pulled upward by lever arm GI and can initiate any desirable automatic action in any suitable, generally known manner.

As long as insufiicient suction prevails within the vacuum measuring device 5|, stop 45 of lever 45 locks lever 43 of the thread feeler 4| so that in spite of a broken thread the actuation of the shifting device by actuating member 62 cannot take place until a sufficient suction has been created, i. e., when stop 46 releases lever 43 as above described.

Whenever the functions of an automatic winding apparatus are governed by pressure instead of by vacuum, the same devices as just described can be correspondingly arranged to be actuated by this means.

In general, the means provided by the present invention can be employed in all winding frames with separately and independently operating winding stations, and in which pneumatic hydraulic, electric, or mechanical power shall be supplied for economical reasons only in small quantity.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of control in automatic textile winding frames having independently operating shifting devices at each one of a plurality of winding stations, which comprises controlling the actuating means for the shifting devices in such a manner that automatic shifting can take place simultaneously only at a small predetermined number of winding stations, and blocking temporarily shifting action at all other winding stations until automatic shifting at the instantly unblocked stations is substantially completed.

2. A method of control in automatic textile winding frames having independently operating shifting devices at each one of a plurality of winding stations, which comprises controlling by feeler action in short succession and in subsequent order the position of the shifting device actuating means at each station, initiating action of the shifting device at that station found suitable for operation by the control feelers, and temporarily interrupting the controlling feeler action at all stations until automatic shifting at the station in action is substantially completed.

3. A method of control in automatic textile winding frames having independently operating shifting devices at each one of a plurality of winding stations and a suction system for sucking up thread ends, which method comprises controlling by feeler action in short succession and in subsequent order the position of the shifting device actuating means at each station, initiating action of the shifting device at that station found suitable for such action by the control feelers, but only then when the vacuum condition in the suction system permits such action, and temporarily interrupting the controlling feeler action at all stations after once shifting action at one station has been initiated until such action is substantially completed.

4. A control device for an automatic textile winding frame having an independently operating shifting device and a broken-thread feeler at each one of a plurality of winding stations, comprising feeler means adapted to control in short succession and in subsequent order the position of the broken-thread feeler at each station, means interlocked with said feeler means for initiating action of the shifting device at that station whose broken-thread feeler was found swung outwardly by said feeler means, and means for blocking temporarily the activity of said feeler means until operation of the shifting device in action is substantially completed.

5. A control device for an automatic textile winding frame having an independently operating shifting device and shifting device actuating means at each one of a plurality of winding stations, comprising a feeler shaft passing adjacent to all winding stations, feeler disks mounted on said feeler shaft at each station one, each feeler disk having a feeler lug, the feeler lugs of all said disks being staggered relative to said feeler shaft and adapted to control during rotation of said feeler shaft in short succession and in subsequent order the position of the shifting device actuating means at each station, means interlocked with said feeler shaft for initiating action of the shifting device at that station found suitable for such operation by the feeler lugs, and means for blocking temporarily rotation of said feeler shaft with all feeler disks until operation of the shifting device in action is substantially completed.

6. A control device for an automatic textile Winding frame having an independently operating shifting device and a broken-thread feeler at each one of a plurality of winding stations and having a suction system with a vacuum measuring device, comprising feeler means adapted to control in short succession and in subsequent order the position of the broken-thread feeler at each winding station, means interlocked with said feeler means for initiating action of the shifting device at that station whose brokenthread feeler was found swung outwardly by said feeler means, means communicating between the vacuum measuring device and said interlocked means and being adapted to defer action of a shifting device until the vacuum condition in the suction system permits such action, and means for blocking temporarily the activity of said feeler means at all other stations after once shifting action at one station has been initiated until such action is substantially completed.

No references cited. 

